The day book. (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, September 16, 1914, LAST EDITION, Image 7

Image and text provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

THIS COUNTRY RANKS FOURTEENTH AMONGNATIONS AS TO TELEPHONE RATESBY N. D. COCHRAN"There is a road to every man's house; there ought to be a telephoneinside."This remark is credited to Theo. N. Vail, head of the American Telephone & Telegraph Co. Mr. Vail is also quoted as follows:"Instantaneous and immediate transmission of electrical communications is as yet a convenience and luxury, although under modern methodsof business and commerce it is an economical alternative to the cheapermail service in business operations. The use of the telegraph may be a popular convenience, but it is not a necessity and is confined still to the comparatively few," and for that reason should be at the cost of the few that findbenefit and profit in that use."If we may judge by the experience of other countries, public 'ownership would take telephonic and telegraphic communication out of the listof luxuries and make such communication as common as the use of themails.In a speech in congress, Representative David J. Lewis of Maryland,presented a table showing that while the United States, under governmentownership ranked practically first in the letter rate, it ranks fourteenth inlocal telephone rates, under private ownership.The countries and their local rate per call for telephone service rankas follows: Norway (private), 4 mills; Sweden, 5 mills; Japan, 5' mills;Norway, 6 mills; Russia, 7 mills; Hungary, 9 mills; Denmark (private), 10mills; Austria, 11 mills; Italy, 13 mills; Germany, 15 mills; Netherlands, 15mills; Belgium, 15 mills; Switzerland, 17 mills; United States (Bell Co.), 21mills. 'Norway (private), Sweden, Japan, Norway (public), Russia and Hungary have service at less than a cent a call; Denmark (private) has serviceat a cent; Austria, Italy, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium at a cent anda half or less; Switzerland at IT mills, and the United States at over 2 cents.Explaining those figures, Congressman Lewis says: "Thus the Bellsystem gives us a rank of fourteenth among sixteen countries, although ourpostal rates virtually rank us first. But our telephone rates are really muchmore abnormal than they appear in the above table, which represents theaverage receipts per call and not the tariffs. When they are considered,especially for the greater cities, we find that In New York city the subscriber's rate for a service limited to about 15 calls a day is $228, or greaterin amount than the combined rate of London ($82.79), Paris ($77.20)),Berlin ($42.20) and Stockholm ($24.44) for their unlimited service."In the figures he presented to congress, Mr. Lewis Bhowed that "therule of the private financier in the United States means local rates aboutthree times those under the postal management of other countries.These facts and figures are given to show the people of Chicago thatthe talk of PENNY SERVICE WITH A PHONE IN EVERY HOME is notidle chatter, but is based on the experience of other countries where public ownership has reduced the cost even below that.CHICAGO HAS AN OPPORTUNITY NOW THAT NO OTHER CITY INTHIS COUNTRY HAS. THE TELEPHONE SYSTEM OWNED BY THEILLINOIS TUNNEL CO. BY RIGHT NOW BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE OPCHICAGO.The representatives of the people in council are asked TO THROW